Symphony in the Rice
by jasmin flower
Summary: <html><head></head>Everything is said and done, and Squad Seven goes back out, with Sai. A short peaceful mission makes everyone a little nostalgic, and they all remember what they've lost. (Except Sai, he's still gaining.) Spoilers up to current!</html>


Hello! I'm running a little late, but I'm doing a word of the week challence from the Fanfic Writers Unite! FB Page! And the word of the week is:

Symphony!

Some of you know I happen to be a huge music fan, and karaoke singer, so this one sounds like a lot of fun for me! I haven't gotten started til now, though the word was announced like 3 days ago because I can't make up my mind what to do!

Therefore, as my way of saying goodbye to the Naruto series, which the manga will finish next month, I'll be writing this!

After all, there's a perfectly good symphony in Naruto if you bother looking! Mwahahaha!

**WARNING! SPOILERS IF YOU AREN'T CURRENT ON JAPANESE RELEASES!**

Anywho, on with the show!

Disclaimer- Not mine!

It had been a long journey. Three months since the fight on the Hokage mountain pass had left both boys drowning in the river. Sakura had to pull them out, though she almost let Sasuke drown after remembering him ripping out her heart, literally.

Genjutsu always sucked.

She was now traveling, taking a new medicine to the rice country. After Orochimaru was arrested by Tsunade, the country here turned to farming again and left the war behind, though they kept up enough to defend themselves if need be.

She was surprised, at only 17 years old how nostalgic something like this could make her. She walked through with Naruto and Kakashi, Sai walking behind and looking around the scenery. "Remember the last time we were here?" She asked and Naruto smiled sadly.

"We had Jaraiya with us back then." He glanced over, seeing the orange book again in Kakashi's hand and smiled. Kakashi was staring hard at the inside of the book, but couldn't get a word of it into his head. He'd heard the words before him and almost stilled.

"What had happened?" Sai asked, his impassive face showing the slightest flicker of intrigue.

"We were looking for Sasuke. I was about 13 at the time." Sakura grinned.

"Saved some people. I was worried about you, you know." Naruto glanced up at Sakura and watched as her eyes danced with a rarely seen light.

"I can take care of myself, you know." She responded, feigning irritability.

"I was worried Jaraiya would try something with you." He frowned and wrinkled his nose.

Sakura stared at him, her jaw dropped for a moment before asking. "He wouldn't have, would he?"

"He said on quite a few occasions he'd only train me if I was using Sexy-no-jutsu. He was a great guy, but he could be creepy."

"Ew!" Sakura shivered and Kakashi chuckled.

"He was using your form for inspiration for his books. He wouldn't have been able to use Sakura, no offense, but you didn't have the physique to inspire back then." His eyes watched her, looking for any sign of attack or anger, but instead he saw peace.

"Good! I was twelve! I shouldn't have been inspiring porn like that!" She crossed her arms and Kakashi chuckled again, reaching out and wrapping an arm over her shoulder.

"That's the spirit." He smiled and Sakura looked up at him with a smile.

That's when he noticed the stilling in her. He smiled and watched as her eyes met his.

"Sorry, I'll probably never get used to seeing your eyes like that." She watched as the corner of his mouth turned up. She could see the hint of the tooth she knew was under the mask. (Being his trusted doctor turned out to have some perks after all, though she'd never tell the boys. He didn't have some horrible scar, except the one for his eye. It was fangs passed down from his father. He had one on each side, but if he smiled too widely, he'd end up cutting the bottom lip, which was why he only ever smiled on one side at a time.)

"Would it make you feel better if I covered it?" Kakashi held the book over his eye and Sakura grinned.

"Nah, I'm just glad you have depth perception again." Kakashi nodded as they continued their walk, the next stretch in a comfortable silence.

The medicine had been delivered by nightfall, and they decided to stay at the inn before headed out the next morning. Naruto was thrilled to find a ramen shop. It wasn't as good as Ichiraku, but it wasn't bad. Sai ended out sitting off beside a small shop that sold coffee and drew the fountain in the center of town, Naruto sitting and watching the sunset. Sakura ended out walking through town, Kakashi by her side as they walked through town and just looked at the differences between the big city and this small village. There were farms and paddies everywhere. Herons flew overhead and Sakura's eyes lit up at the birds.

Out of nowhere a beat came from a house behind her and she turned, trying to see what was happening. From another farm, on the other side, another beat combined with the first, and Sakura's eyes widened as she listened as other people from other farms, all down the street joined in. Within minutes there was a whole symphony playing in the fields! The music was gorgeous! She looked up to see Kakashi's surprised face almost as shocked as herself.

They just stood there and listened for a while before continuing down the road.

She realized quickly that the music wasn't just that area. It spread over the whole farming area. Music was a well known passion in the area. The home of the Village hidden in the Sound. They walked through, listening as all of the music changed as they went through, but the beat was steady. The melodies were consistent, but were played differently at every farm they passed.

It was amazing.

By the time they'd gotten back to the hotel Sakura and Kakashi were giggling, remembering the sounds they'd heard. Naruto watched with worry and confusion as the two tried to explain a reed oboe someone had been seen playing to each other.

"What happened to you two?"

"The farm area turned into a giant band! Every farm joined in, everyone seemed to be playing! It was amazing!" Sakura grinned, looking over at Sai, who frowned at the words.

"They were probably sparring." He said and Sakura remembered again. They probably were. Nightly training to know they were at their best in case of attack. Each musical instrument probably had the ability to kill.

That beautiful scene didn't seem so beautiful anymore.

Kakashi felt the chill run up her back and patted the small of her back softly. "Sakura, don't think about it. Just remember, it was beautiful. It really was." He watched as her head turned to him, and even though she had such a worried look in her eye she nodded.

It didn't seem fair for something so beautiful to be so dangerous.

She sighed and walked over, laying on the bed, and didn't even think about it when Kakashi laid down next to her. He covered them both with the blanket before drifting off to sleep.

Naruto stared, his eyes wide. He glanced over at Sai, who had a similar look on his face.

Since when did those two share a bed?!

It was almost two countries away, and a good two hours later that a drunken woman looked at her clock with a grin. It would be taking effect soon.

Sakura would only ever think of fighting, which was especially bad for a doctor. She would never stop and think that the damage done from music wouldn't be a physical injury, but instead a little temporary changing in her mental chemistry for a couple of weeks. Since her and Kakashi had been together when the music was played, they would feel the same resonance within each other.

Matchmaker Level= Heartless!

She laughed as she looked over the paperwork, knowing that this would keep the roseate kunoichi off of her back for a while! New love was always distracting! And she probably wouldn't even realize she was close til it was too late! She'd just wake up and know she was in love! Mwahahaha!

Sometimes being evil was the best recourse. Especially when someone realized the person they'd been in love with ever since they could remember was actually not a person that would give it back. She'd been so deeply in love, to get such a rude awakening had thrown the girl into a self-made hell. She'd thrown herself into her work so hard no one was even sure she'd slept.

At the same time, the loss of his friend, again, and of his eyes was a devastating blow to Kakashi. He needed something to go well in his life as well.

Tsunade smiled. Jaraiya would have been proud.


End file.
